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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Kerala will become liquor-free State: CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said Kerala will become the first liquor-free state in India by 2030. The government has sanctioned sufficient fund for awareness programmes to achieve that goal.The chief minister was inaugurating Subhodham Icon 2016, an international conference at Tagore theatre on Wednesday.“The steps taken by the government to reduce the use and availability of the liquor have started gaining the desired result. After the closure of bars, the sale of liquor has come down by 24 percent. However, our liquor policy has affected the bar owners, a reason why they have been making unnecessary allegations against the government to topple it. But the real beneficiaries were the poor people in society,” he saidEchoing the same sentiments, Minister Babu said, “the Supreme Court order on our liquor policy was the greatest acknowledgement to the government. In order to implement Subhodam project for a liquor-free Kerala, Rs 78 crore will be sanctioned for its first phase. In the next two financial years, Rs 148 worth schemes will be implemented,” he said.Hailing the chief minister, Global liquor eradication committee advisor Derek Rutherford said Kerala’s liquor policy was a role model for the whole world.